IPL 4: Deccan Chargers brush aside Delhi Daredevils

It was a good all round performance by the Chargers with Sunil Sohal scoring a half century and later Harmeet Singh pitching-in with 2 wickets. Delhi were never really in the hunt of chasing down 168, losing wickets at regular intervals.

Irfan Pathan (5) departed again, failing to click at the right time, trying for a big one and giving Ojha his first wicket. Irfan has been a shadow of himself all along this IPL and continued his rather dogged form both with the bat and ball.

David Warner had earlier walked to the pavilion leaving Delhi to totter. Warner had been playing sensibly ensuring one end remained intact even though wickets were falling at the other end regularly. But with the ever increasing required run rate, Warner was clearly under pressure and while trying to clear the mid wicket boundary, he failed to get the elevation.

In a bid to up the run rate, in form batsmen Venugopal Rao went for the big one, but was caught at long off by Dan Christian of Amit Mishra giving the advantage back to Deccan Chargers. Rao and David Warner were building up a crucial partnership rotating the strike regularly and blasting away the loose ones. It was the all important wicket that Deccan were after.

Delhi had slumped to 38 for 3 as the big hitting Aaron Finch was caught behind, yielding Harmeet Singh his second wicket of the match. Deccan clawed back into the game after an explosive start by the Daredevils.

Deccan had got their second wicket in the 4th over, when terribly out of form Naman Ojha was trapped LBW off Dan Christian.

In the previous over, Sehwag once again failed to deliver goods as he went back to the pavilion with a score of 12. Dan Christian took a sharp catch at point to dismiss the Delhi Skipper. Sehwag had started off in his usual fashion taking Dan Christian to the cleaners with 3 boundaries with David Warner playing a second fiddle.

In the first half, Deccan Chargers ended up with 168 against Delhi Daredevils at Feroz Shah Kotla. Cameron White who was included in the team, remained unbeaten on 31.

Earlier, Sunny Sohal had finally come good for the Deccan Chargers as he completed his half century before holding out at mid off. Throughout his innings of 62, Sohal took his chances and timed the ball well. He combined with his skipper to lay a solid foundation for the rest of Deccan batsmen to a have a late flourish.

Kumar Sangakkara had miscued one of Askok Dinda to give Delhi their second breakthrough. Sangakkara was in sublime form as he reached 49 in no time. He along with Sunny Sohal maintained a healthy run rate throughout. The Deccan captain hit some exquisite drives on both side of the wicket and was severe on the left arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, plundering 2 boundaries and a huge six over midwicket in his over.

Playing at their home ground Delhi Daredevils were off to a good start as Irfan Pathan clean bowled Shikhar Dhawan, who tried to pull a good length delivery only to play on to his own wicket in the second over of the match with the score on 14.

Dhawan was looking positive right from the onset as he cracked consecutive boundaries of Ashok Dinda, but failed to carry on.

Deccan Chargers skipper Kumar Sangakkara had won the toss and elected to bat first in their Indian Premier League match against Delhi Daredevils.

JP Duminy was left out of the Chargers line-up and Cameron White, who arrived from Dhaka during their last game, was included in the playing eleven. Delhi also made two changes, bringing in Morne Morkel and Yogesh Nagar, in place of Matthew Wade and Umesh Yadav.